Construction Specifications Institute Construction Documents Technologist CDT Exam Dumps: Updated Questions & Answers (January 2026)

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract (CSI-based)

CSI uses the term “Procurement Documents” to describe the documents used to solicit and obtain offers (bids or proposals) from prospective contractors. In CSI and CDT terminology, these are more commonly referred to in everyday practice as “Bidding Documents.”

Per CSI’s Project Delivery Practice Guide:

Procurement (bidding) documents usually include:

Solicitation / invitation to bid or request for proposals,

Instructions to bidders,

Bid forms,

Procurement requirements, and

Often copies of the proposed Contract Documents (conditions, drawings, specifications) for information and pricing.

When CSI exam and study materials ask what is “commonly included as procurement documents,” they treat “bidding documents” as the proper term among choices like these. So the best answer is:

D. Bidding documents

Why the other options are not correct by themselves:

A. Project record documents – These are post-construction documents (record drawings, record specifications, record submittals) used for operations and maintenance, not for procurement.

B. Contract documents – While proposed contract documents are often included within the procurement package for pricing and review, the broader category name for the documents used in procurement is still “bidding (procurement) documents.”

C. Consensus documents – This refers to standard-form agreements produced by organizations (e.g., consensus-documents families), not the general CSI term for the set of documents used in the procurement phase.

Relevant CSI references (paraphrased):

CSI Project Delivery Practice Guide – chapters on Procurement Phase and “Procurement Documents (Bidding Documents).”

CSI CDT Study Materials – topics on document families used in procurement and contracting.

In CSI’s project delivery framework, the preconstruction meeting (often called the preconstruction conference) is a formal meeting held after award of the construction contract and before substantial field work begins. Its typical purposes match the stem of this question almost word-for-word:

Introduce the key members of the owner’s team, the design team, and the contractor’s team.

Review and establish communication protocols – who communicates with whom, in what format (letters, emails, RFIs, submittals), and through which channels (e.g., via the A/E as the owner’s representative).

Explain administrative procedures for submittals, RFIs, change orders, applications for payment, project meetings, record documents, and closeout requirements.

Clarify roles and responsibilities, lines of authority, and decision-making processes during construction.

Review the project schedule, major milestones, site logistics, and constraints so everyone begins the project with a common understanding.

These points are fully consistent with how CSI’s Project Delivery Practice Guide and typical Division 01 “Project Management and Coordination” sections describe the preconstruction conference: as the kickoff meeting for the construction phase, focused on communication, procedures, and administration—not bidding or detailed technical coordination.

Why the other options are not correct:

A. Mobilization meeting“Mobilization” refers to the contractor’s process of moving onto the site (bringing in equipment, setting up field offices, etc.). While a project might have discussions about mobilization, “mobilization meeting” is not the standard CSI project-delivery term for this formal kickoff. The structured, procedure-focused meeting described in the question is the preconstruction meeting.

C. Prebid meetingA prebid meeting (pre-bid conference) occurs during procurement, before bids are submitted. Its primary purposes are to familiarize prospective bidders with the project, review procurement requirements, visit the site, and answer questions that might affect bids. It does not introduce the already-selected construction team, nor does it establish the project’s communication and administrative procedures for contract execution. That occurs after award in the preconstruction meeting.

D. Coordination meetingCoordination meetings are typically recurring, working meetings during construction to resolve ongoing technical, scheduling, or coordination issues between trades (e.g., MEP coordination). They do not serve as the initial, formal kickoff to introduce teams and set overall administrative and communication “ground rules.”

Therefore, the meeting that introduces the design and construction teams, sets communication ground rules, and explains administrative processes is the Preconstruction meeting (Option B), as aligned with CSI project delivery and Division 01 practices.

Key CSI References (titles only, no links):

CSI Project Delivery Practice Guide – chapters on Construction Phase and Project Meetings (Preconstruction Conference).

CSI Construction Specifications Practice Guide – discussions of Division 01 “Project Management and Coordination” and required project meetings.

CSI CDT Body of Knowledge – topic area: “Construction Phase Services and Communication.”

CSI describes that during the construction phase, the contractor is responsible for maintaining a continuously updated set of record documents (often called record drawings or as-built drawings). These are a marked-up set of the contract drawings (and sometimes specifications) showing actual field conditions, including:

Changes in dimensions or locations of foundations and structural elements (e.g., pier depths).

Exact locations of underground and concealed utilities.

Adjustments made during construction that are not fully captured in formal design revisions.

Any other deviations between the original design intent and the actual constructed work that will affect future maintenance, alterations, or operations.

CSI’s guidance is that these markups are maintained continuously on site by the contractor and then turned over at closeout as part of the project record.

This is exactly what Option B – Record set refers to: a set of documents updated to reflect the actual constructed conditions.

Why the other options are incorrect:

A. Conformed setA conformed set is the contract documents updated by the design professional to incorporate all addenda and certain pre-award changes, forming a clean set for construction. It is not the running field record of what was actually built; it’s a “clean” version of what was contracted, not what was constructed.

C. Change order logThe change order log tracks formal contract modifications (change orders) – values, dates, brief descriptions. It does not typically contain detailed field information such as exact pier depths and utility locations. Those details belong on the record drawings/record set.

D. Request for information documentsRFIs (requests for information) are used for clarifications and questions during construction. While they may trigger changes or clarifications, RFIs are not the place where the contractor maintains the running graphic record of actual field conditions. The results of RFIs that change the work must still be reflected on the record set.

Key CSI Reference Titles (no links):

CSI Project Delivery Practice Guide – Construction Phase, “Record Documents / As-Built Drawings.”

CSI Construction Specifications Practice Guide – Division 01 sections on “Project Record Documents” and “Closeout Submittals.”

CDT Body of Knowledge – Construction Phase responsibilities of the contractor and record documentation.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract (CSI-Based)

According to the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) and CDT exam content, the General Conditions of the Contract form the foundational “baseline” set of administrative, procedural, and legal requirements for every construction contract. All other contracting documents—including Supplementary Conditions, Division 01, and specification sections—are modified in relation to this baseline.

Why the Correct Answer Is General Conditions (Option D)

CSI practice guides describe the General Conditions as:

The standard baseline document for project relationships, responsibilities, rights, and procedures.

The “default” set of requirements unless modified by Supplementary Conditions or Division 01.

The document against which all deviations must be clearly identified, especially when supplementary or project-specific requirements alter the standard conditions.

General Conditions define or baseline:

Roles and responsibilities of owner, contractor, A/E

Contract time, payments, changes, submittals, inspections

Dispute resolution

Site conditions, insurance, and protection of work

CSI emphasizes that the General Conditions do not change for each project unless Supplementary Conditions modify them, which reinforces that they form the baseline.

Why the Other Options Are Incorrect

A. General Requirements (Division 01)

Division 01 sections coordinate the administrative and procedural requirements for the project, but they expand upon or modify the General Conditions—not the other way around. They cannot be the baseline because they themselves rely on the baseline established in the General Conditions.

B. Supplementary Conditions

These modify the General Conditions to address project-specific legal or regulatory requirements (e.g., bonding, liquidated damages, insurance). They create deviations, not the baseline from which deviations are identified.

C. Project Manual

The Project Manual is a collection of documents—including bidding requirements, contract forms, General Conditions, Supplementary Conditions, and specifications. It is not itself the baseline; it contains the baseline (the General Conditions).

Key CSI References

CSI Project Delivery Practice Guide – Chapters on Procurement and Contracting, discussing General Conditions as the base document for rights, responsibilities, and procedures.

CSI Construction Specifications Practice Guide – Sections on Contract Documents hierarchy and coordination.

CSI CDT Body of Knowledge – Contractual relationships and use of General Conditions as baseline documents.

Within CSI’s project delivery discussion, Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) is defined as a highly collaborative project delivery approach where key project participants—typically owner, architect/engineer, and contractor (and often major trades and key consultants)—work together as an integrated team from very early in the project.

Core characteristics of IPD in CSI-oriented material include:

Early involvement of key participants in planning, design, and sometimes even programming.

A single, collaborative team structure (rather than traditional silos of responsibility) focusing on shared project goals (cost, schedule, quality, performance).

Shared information and decision-making, often supported by digital tools (such as BIM) so that design, cost, constructability, and operations considerations are integrated.

A focus on joint problem-solving and collective risk and reward, rather than adversarial relationships.

That description aligns directly with Option A: “A collaborative, integrated, and productive team composed of key project participants.”

Why the other options are incorrect:

B. Traditional delivery methods and team relationships…IPD is specifically a departure from traditional team relationships (like those in conventional Design-Bid-Build), which are more linear and segmented. IPD emphasizes integrated rather than traditional or separated relationships.

C. Responsibility silos for greater efficiencies…“Responsibility silos” describe the opposite of IPD. IPD seeks to break down silos, fostering shared responsibility and integrated decision-making.

D. Segregat[ing] knowledge… with paper-based communications…IPD promotes continuous, transparent information sharing, often using digital platforms and models. Segregated, paper-based communications are characteristic of older, more fragmented approaches, not IPD.

Key CSI Reference Titles (no links):

CSI Project Delivery Practice Guide – sections on Integrated Project Delivery and collaborative team structures.

CSI CDT Body of Knowledge – “Project Delivery Methods” and comparison of IPD with traditional methods.

Good documentation of project decisions (typically in meeting minutes) is essential for traceability, accountability, and later dispute avoidance. CSI-oriented project management procedures and your uploaded construction management documents emphasize that minutes should record, at a minimum:

When the meeting occurred – date, time, location.

Who attended and whom they represent (owner, A/E, contractor, etc.).

What was decided and what remains unresolved.

Action items, assigned responsibilities, and due dates.

These elements are repeatedly included in the sample agendas and minutes procedures in your Construction Management Plan and Project Management Manual, which require minutes and action/open-items lists to be prepared and circulated after key meetings.

None of these procedures mention, or require, tracking how long each attendee spoke. That level of granularity does not contribute meaningfully to documenting decisions, responsibilities, or follow-up work. It adds administrative burden without improving clarity or accountability.

Thus:

A (date/time/location) – important context for the record.

B (attendees and representation) – critical to know who agreed to what.

D (action items, responsibilities, dates) – central to the decision-making trail.

C (length of time each attendee spoke) – least important and not standard practice in CSI-based documentation.

So the correct answer is Option C.

CSI-aligned references (no URLs):

CSI Project Delivery Practice Guide – sections on project meetings and documentation.

CSI CDT body of knowledge – “Documenting decisions and maintaining project records.”

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract (CSI-based)

In CSI’s description of the facility life cycle, the last phase is decommissioning. This phase occurs when a facility is taken out of service because it is no longer needed for its original operations, has reached the end of its useful life, or is being prepared for conversion to a different use. The emphasis is on the facility no longer being required for its intended operations, not strictly on demolition or permanent abandonment.

Decommissioning tasks can include: removing or securing systems, handling hazardous materials, salvaging components, planning for demolition, or preparing the facility for a different use.

Because decommissioning can precede demolition, adaptive reuse, or other end-of-life actions, it is triggered when the facility is no longer needed for operations.

Option B captures this definition accurately.

Options A and C are too narrow: demolition or permanent disuse are possible outcomes of decommissioning but not the only reasons it is required. Option D (change of ownership) does not automatically require decommissioning; a facility can continue operating normally under a new owner.

Relevant CSI references (no links):

CSI Project Delivery Practice Guide – Facility Life Cycle chapter (discussion of operations, maintenance, and decommissioning).

CSI CDT Body of Knowledge – overview of project phases including decommissioning.

Under the typical CSI-aligned project delivery framework, additional time and money are generally justified when:

The owner (or A/E as owner’s agent) changes the work or otherwise causes delay (e.g., active interference, late decisions, design changes).

There are unforeseen conditions beyond the control of both owner and contractor, where the contract documents anticipated “normal” conditions instead.

Other compensable events defined in the Conditions of the Contract occur (e.g., certain force majeure events, if provided for).

However, the contractor is responsible for correcting defective or nonconforming work at no increase in contract sum or time (except where the defect is caused by others). CSI-based guidance on construction phase services and contract administration explains that:

Defective work (work not in accordance with the contract documents) must be removed, replaced, or corrected by the contractor at the contractor’s expense.

Any extra time and cost arising from correcting such defective work is not a valid basis for a change order or a claim for increased compensation or time extension.

If the contractor’s own documentation shows that the extra cost and time are due to defective work needing repair, the A/E has a clear basis—consistent with the Conditions of the Contract—to reject the claim. That aligns directly with Option D.

Why the other options do not support rejecting the claim:

A. Active interference by the owner – Owner-caused interference is typically a valid ground for a time and possibly cost adjustment, not grounds for rejection.

B. Conditions beyond the control of the contractor or owner – Unforeseen conditions are exactly the type of situation that may justify a claim, depending on the contract language.

C. The A/E modified the contract documents – A/E-issued changes (such as change orders or certain clarifications) often result in compensable changes if they add work or cause delay.

CSI-aligned references (no URLs):

CSI Project Delivery Practice Guide – Construction Phase and Claims/Changes discussions.

CSI Construction Specifications Practice Guide – responsibilities for defective work and changes.

CSI CDT Body of Knowledge – construction phase administration and evaluation of claims.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation (CSI-aligned, paraphrased)

CSI guidance and typical Division 01 “Project Record Documents” or “Record Drawing” sections assign the responsibility for maintaining record documents at the project site to the Contractor.

These record documents (often called “as-builts” when finalized) include:

A set of contract drawings marked up to show actual installed conditions.

Notations of changes made by Change Orders, Construction Change Directives, and field orders.

Markups of routing of concealed utilities, changes in locations, and deviations from the original design that were approved during construction.

Key CSI-aligned principles:

The Contractor is the party actually performing and coordinating the Work, and is in the best position to record day-to-day deviations and field changes.

Division 01 typically states that the Contractor must:

Keep a current set of record documents on site, up to date as changes occur.

Turn over the completed record documents to the A/E and/or Owner at Substantial or Final Completion as part of closeout.

Therefore, responsibility for maintaining the record documents at the project site rests with:

A. Contractor

Why the other options are not correct:

B. A/E’s consultant – Consultants (e.g., structural, mechanical) prepare and may later review record documentation, but they are not on site continuously and are not responsible for maintaining daily-updated record sets at the site.

C. A/E’s project representative – The A/E’s representative may review the record documents or check that they are being maintained, but the contract language typically assigns the duty itself to the Contractor.

D. Owner’s project representative – The Owner’s representative monitors the project on the Owner’s behalf but does not usually maintain the working record set. That would be duplicative and impractical compared to the Contractor’s role.

Key CSI-Related Reference Titles (no links):

CSI Construction Specifications Practice Guide – Division 01 sections on Project Record Documents / As-Builts.

CSI Project Delivery Practice Guide – Construction Phase responsibilities of the Contractor and A/E.

CSI CDT Study Materials – contractor responsibilities for record documents and closeout submittals.

CSI defines three major, complementary organizing tools:

MasterFormat® – classifies work results and organizes specification sections into numbered divisions.

SectionFormat® – standardizes the internal arrangement and headings of text within each specification section (e.g., Part 1 – General, Part 2 – Products, Part 3 – Execution), making it easy to read and quickly reference.

UniFormat® – organizes information by systems and assemblies, often used in early design and cost planning rather than final spec sections.

The question specifically asks about a format that standardizes how the text is arranged on specification pages for easy reading and rapid reference. That is exactly the role of SectionFormat®: it defines the structure and order of information inside the section so that users know where to find general requirements, product information, and execution requirements, regardless of the project.

By contrast:

MasterFormat® (Option C) organizes which section information goes into (coding and naming of sections), not the layout of text within the section.

UniFormat® (Option D) structures information by building systems/elements, especially for programming and early design, not for final spec page layout.

PageFormat (Option B) is not one of CSI’s registered, widely recognized branded formats in the way the question is framed.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option A – SectionFormat®.

CSI-aligned references (no URLs):

CSI Construction Specifications Practice Guide – chapters on MasterFormat®, SectionFormat®, and UniFormat®.

CSI SectionFormat® & PageFormat™ standard (CSI publication).